Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, Oba Rilwan Akiolu of Lagos and other stakeholders have called for intensified efforts in the fight against drug trafficking in the country.

Dalung said all over the world, governments were committing billions of dollars to fight the menace of drug abuse, saying investing in social programmes that discourage young people from going into drugs would yield fruitful results in the long run.

According to him, his Ministry will collaborate with the NDLEA in minimising the abuse of drugs and other substances especially among the youth.

Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu also called for improved funding for the Agency and provision of logistics for enhanced performance, urging members of the public to volunteer useful information on the activities of drug trafficking organisations in their neighbourhoods for the NDLEA to serve them better.

Akiolu called the government to improve the funding of the NDLEA, Drug control could not be fought without logistic support, urging Members of the public to have a responsibility to report the illegal activities of drug traffickers in their neighbourhood to law enforcement agents.

Chairman and Chief Executive of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency,NDLEA, Colonel Muhammad Abdallah, said Nigeria remained committed to the dislodgement of criminal drug syndicates targeting the country and West African sub-region as a hub for illicit drug production, trafficking and abuse.

Abdallah stressed that the country had maintained a rising drug control profile through capacity building and unwavering sense of obligation, promising to work with stakeholders in ensuring a healthy and drug-free society.

Speaking on the global theme for this year’s campaign, which is Listen First; the Chairman called on parents to strengthen the bond between them and their children, saying the theme was a clarion call on parents to carry out a self appraisal on the relationship between them and their children and amend observed gaps.

According to him, when parents fail to listen to their children, they are unwittingly creating room for negative confidants to mislead them.

He urged parents, guardians and leaders to continually reach out to young persons, interact and share in their concerns, saying this would help them to build positive attitudes and relevant skills needed to prevent drug abuse and other social vices inimical to societal peace, growth and development.

Abdallah said Nigeria would continue to dislodge criminal drug syndicates seeking to turn our country and West Africa sub-region to a hub for illicit drug production, trafficking and abuse.

The Agency Boss who spoke through Director General, Roli Bode-George said stakeholders must review drug control strategies aimed at ensuring a safer environment, saying moving forward, they must determine the effectiveness of existing measures.

The twenty-sixth of June was set aside as International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking by resolution 42/112 of the United Nations General Assembly on the 7th of December 1987.